WD Reviews: At-Home Hair Removal Products

See which popular brands performed best in our tests

By Alexandra Gekas

When your seasonal wardrobe consists of tank tops, bathing suits, skirts and shorts, there's no room to slack on shaving. To help you maintain your summer look, we tested 13 at-home hair removal products—including creams, epilators and trimmers—rating the smell, pain, time and results for each on a scale of 1 (worst) through 5 (best) to find out which products lived up to their promises and which were less than impressive.

Schick Quattro for Women TrimStyle

Score: 4.8What WD had to say: Specifically intended for the bikini line, the Schick Quattro for Women TrimStyle has a four-blade razor at one end and a waterproof hair trimmer at the other. "Once I got the hang of the trimmer I found it easy to use—it reminded me of when I would help my husband trim the hair on the back of his neck," our reviewer said. "For women who aren't into waxing the bikini area, this item is a must-have for bathing suit season." Photo courtesy of Schick.

Nair Face Wax Strips

Score: 4.6What WD had to say: If you want to wax your eyebrows, chin or upper lip yourself, these easy, single-use wax strips promise to help without the "ouch!" The kit also comes with post-treatment menthol wipes to soothe and moisturize skin. But how did our reviewer rate them? "It didn't hurt at all, and was actually cooling and pain-free.” However, she suggested heating the strips under a blow dryer to save time instead of rubbing them between your hands. Photo courtesy of Nair.

Nair Silky Sensations

Score: 4.2What WD had to say: Nair Silky Sensations hair removal cream for the legs contains a variety of moisturizers as well as pomegranate and soy extracts. Our reviewer said the product did produce a burning sensation and left her a bit red after use, but it otherwise worked as promised. "I only had to apply the cream once and I probably could've taken it off sooner than 3 minutes. The bubblegummy odor was the first thing I noticed, and I liked the package, it looked girly." Photo courtesy of Nair.

Sally Hansen Pure Scent-sation Hair

Remover for BodyScore: 4.2What WD had to say: Designed with an easy-to-use pump applicator, the Sally Hansen Pure Scent-sation Hair Remover Creme for the body lived up to its promise to work in as little as 3 minutes for results that last up to 6 days. Though the product claims to not have an unpleasant odor, our reviewer said there was still a slight smell. "I would use this product again, but there needs to be enough hair for it to work," she added. Photo courtesy of Sally Hansen.

Sally Hansen Pure Scent-sation Hair Remover for Face

Score: 4.2What WD had to say: This line of Sally Hansen’s Pure Scent-sation Hair Remover Creme is meant to be used on the face and comes in a pump dispenser for application on the upper lip, eyebrow, chin and hairline. The WD reviewer noted that the product worked well and the entire process only took 5 to 10 minutes. "While my skin was a little red for a few minutes, it hardly hurt at all. I really like the smell and how the product contains aloe and chamomile," she said. Photo courtesy of Sally Hansen.

Sally Hansen Insta-Smooth Pods (for Face)

Score: 4What WD had to say: Designed with a built-in applicator for one-time use, the Sally Hansen Insta-Smooth hair removal cream pods offer easy application with minimal cleanup. The kit includes six applicators and promises results in 3 minutes. "The cream worked as the instructions indicated, and allowed hair to wipe clean off," our reviewer said. "The only downside is that the area was extra-sensitive and red after. I would use it again, just in the evening when I can stay home until the redness fades." Photo courtesy of Sally Hansen.

Nair Precision Face & Upper Lip Kit

Score: 4What WD had to say: This product is made with "a specially formulated rebalancing moisturizer," but our reviewer said it was similar to a basic hair removal cream. What was special about it, though, was the applicator. "It was contoured for easy application; I was able to apply this to my upper lip in one swipe. Then I just waited the 3 to 5 minutes and wiped it off. Easy application is the best part of this product. I'd definitely use it again." Photo courtesy of Nair.

Veet Suprem’Essence Spray

Score: 3.8What WD had to say: Advertising no unpleasant depilatory cream smell and only requiring 3 minutes for use, the Veet Suprem’Essence Spray hair removal cream actually took our reviewer a little longer from start to finish, but the results lasted longer than shaving. "It was quite a process, but I tried it on Saturday and my legs still felt smooth on Monday—and I usually have to shave daily. It was very messy, though, and I felt like I used the entire bottle for one application." Photo courtesy of Veet.

Ready Betty Ultimate Stylin' Kit for Down There

Score: 3.8What WD had to say: Offering an entire hair-care system for “down there,” this kit includes scissors, a razor, hair removal cream and stencils. According to our reviewer, the cream worked as it was supposed to, though it had an unpleasant scent. "The main reason this missed the mark on a perfect score is because of the stencils. They’re flimsy (one tore as I carefully peeled it away from its backing), and no matter how steady your hand is, they don’t give you the precise shape you’d get with waxing." Photo courtesy of Betty Beauty.

Emjoi Soft Caress Corded Epilator

Score: 3.25What WD had to say: Equipped with 36 patented tweezer discs, the Emjoi Soft Caress Epilator can remove hair as short as .5 mm from the root for results that last up to six weeks. Despite the patented pain-reduction technology, our reviewer said it probably takes some getting used to. “For a first-time user, it can range from a slight tingling feeling to a full-blown why-am-I-doing-this-to-myself type of pain. It seems, though, that if you commit to the device, you will eventually stop feeling the pain over time." There’s also the time issue: It took her 5 minutes to do the bikini line and 10 minutes for one lower leg. Photo courtesy of Emjoi.

Nair Shower Power Max

Score: 3 What WD had to say: Nair’s Shower Power Max has water-resistant properties so it can be used in the shower. It’s meant to be applied beforehand, and you leave the cream on for 2 minutes before you wipe it off with the included sponge. While it did remove all the hair, the WD reviewer says she had to use almost ¼ of the bottle for one use. "You have to use a lot of product and it's much more expensive than shaving. Plus, my skin is a little sensitive, so this was pretty uncomfortable." Photo courtesy of Nair.

Veet Suprem’Essence Gel Cream

Score: 3What WD had to say: Designed to dissolve hair instead of removing it, the Veet Suprem’Essence Gel Cream boasts that, after use, hair will take longer to grow back than with regular shaving. "While it did work in 3 to 5 minutes, what they don’t convey is how long it takes to deal with getting the cream and hair off. You really have to scrub it off, so the whole process took probably 10 to 15 minutes. I thought it would be easier than shaving, but it wasn't." Photo courtesy of Veet.

Emjoi Emagine 72 Tweezer-Head Epilator

Score: 2.5What WD had to say: Designed with 72 tweezer heads, this epilator by Emjoi claims to be safer and more beneficial than shaving or waxing. The higher number of tweezers also allows it to work more quickly, reducing the number of passes required to remove hair. According to our review, the product does work as promised, but not without pain. "This product hurt a great deal. I wish I could keep it up, but I couldn't get over how much it hurt." Photo courtesy of Emjoi.

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